Under the guidance of Laszlo Nagy and Prof. Alejandro Lecuna and amidst the company of 20 students from Prague and Anhalt the task, deceptively simple, was to create a poster(s) on the themes of „first impressions of Budapest“
To enhance our experience of the city, we were given a guided tour of Pest, visiting iconic landmarks that are part of the glorious history of the city. Additionally, we were given a student pass that allowed us to freely roam and explore the city at our own terms and pace.
The posters represent my love for capturing urbanscapes.
I also challenged myself by writing a Haiku which was illustrated with smaller urban elements using Morse Code.
Poster 1: The city as is
I love sketching. You will never find me without a sketchbook and pens. Sketching while traveling, especially to new places like Budapest, is a medium and my way of easing into the new environment.
I seldom say, „My sketch books are like a time capsule. I can transport back to that place, space, emotion, sounds, textures and even conversations.“
This poster (which unfortunately couldn't be printed) represents the raw emotions and observations that I made during my visit. Inspired by the graffiti art around the city my sketches were intertwined with various photographs, urban and nature elements, more graffiti's to then make a composition.
This composition, in a way, is a timestamp of all my experiences and observations made around the city.
Poster 2: Morse code Haiku. or .... ._ .. _._ --_
The graffiti culture of Budapest had a start impact on me. Usually graffiti are associated with vandalism. However, in Budapest it added to the charm of the city. The city had a unique clash of old heritage and the modern technology. These graffiti almost acted as a transition between these two phases. Wherever I went, there was a graffiti insight; on postboxes, toilets, doors, mirrors, streetlight and so on. Initially a bit overwhelming, these artworks added to the charm and vibe of the city.
Inspired by them and many hidden layers that the city slowly reveals itself through, I came up with the concept of writing a haiku and encoding it in a graffiti styled Morse code. I chose Haiku for the reason that it has a specific structure and is generally very short (5-7-5)
The start contrast of white shapes over a stark black background invites the viewer to color his/ her own imagination of the Haiku.
Gratitude, Learnings, Memories
This mobility program exposed me to unique cultural and artistic experiences as well as reignited my passion for traveling.
I extend my outmost gratitude to MOME and Prof. Laszlo Nagy for hosting us so graciously and making our experience special. To Onyx Mutely for the best cuisine experience I have had in my life. I am not making this up. After the lunch at Onyx I called my mother to tell her, „Sorry mom, I have just had the best meal of my life!“
I would also like to thank Dr. Sandra Giegler for encouraging me to take part in this program.
This short trip to Budapest was my first outing in Europe. Even though I have traveled across many places within India, I was quite nervous traveling to a new country, especially within 3 weeks of arriving in Europe for the first time.
I am glad I took the chance to explore the unknown. It added to my love for travel, engaging in newer experiences and most important; it helped me grow.
